


My Genius The Vampire

by vexutopia



Series: Vampire!Reid [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Aaron Hotchner - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAU au, Behavioral Analysis Unit (Criminal Minds), Bisexual Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Derek Morgan - Freeform, Hurt Spencer Reid, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau & Spencer Reid Friendship, Lesbian Emily Prentiss, M/M, Minor Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/William LaMontagne Jr., Protective Aaron Hotchner, Protective Derek Morgan, Reid is a vampire, Spencer Reid - Freeform, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, Supernatural Elements, criminal minds au, mlm, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vexutopia/pseuds/vexutopia
Summary: Vampire Reid.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Series: Vampire!Reid [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2125338
Comments: 32
Kudos: 150





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I literally made up my own vampire rules so please don't come for me. The rules are basically, 
> 
> 1) Vampires can be in sunlight but not for an extended amount of time,  
> 2) Vampires must drink human blood to replenish nutrients and energy. Animal blood is alright to use as a substitute, but it is not advised.  
> 3) Holy Water is the only thing that can kill vampires.  
> 4) Iron can burn vampire skin, but can't kill them, unless used it an excessive manner. (i.e, if a vampire is beaten with iron rods )  
> 5) Vampires can bleed and feel pain.  
> 6) Vampires are not allowed to kill humans unless it is to feed.  
> 7) Vampires can take photos and see their reflections. 
> 
> That's it for now.

Running through the rain was certainly last on the list of things Reid would have chosen as something to do to end the case. His body felt heavy and weak, and he had long since lost Hotchner and Morgan during the footrace. He stumbled to a stop near a brick wall, his back pressing against the roughness of the cement. Reid brought his hand to his forehead and coughed a few times. He held his gun tightly as he tried to pull himself upright before his trembling legs gave out. He cursed as he listened to the clatter of his gun against the asphalt. Very suddenly his arm was grabbed, and his gun was shoved into his hands. The metallic pressed to his middle, thwarted by his bulletproof vest.

“The Hell, kid?” Morgan shook his shoulders, “You alright?”

Reid looked at him with half-open eyes. He lifted one of his hands and lay his piano fingers on Morgan’s forearm, and had he not known him, surely he would have crushed his bones and fed off him by now. He shoved Morgan away, though not with the force he was capable of. Morgan started a slight jog, and Reid was after him. The two of them soon caught up to Hotch, who had wrestled the assailant into handcuffs. As he was pulled to his feet, he and Reid locked eyes. A hungry vampire by easy to see by another, so when the two of them stiffened, not entirely used to being in such close vicinity to another of their kind, Morgan, and Hotch could not look past it. The case was in Quantico, luckily, so the locker room of the BAU was where they would drive. JJ and Prentiss had long since dried off and gone home, and Garcia had gone too, leaving the boys by their lonesome.

“Reid.” Morgan walked up to him, though did not move to touch his bare shoulder.

Reid slipped on a t-shirt before he placed the towel on his head. He turned to look at Morgan, whose eyes flickered over his pale, breathless expression. Morgan had told Hotch how he found Reid hunched over in an alley with his gun on the ground, but their superior was  _ not  _ a locker room talker no matter what, so although the conversation between Hotch and Reid would be inevitable, Hotch thought it best to avoid that for now. 

“Are you alright? You look pale, and you’ve been worrying me.” Morgan finally did touch his shoulder and Reid brushed away from him. “Hey kid, why don’t you and I go get dinner? I’ll get us steaks!”

“Steaks?” Reid repeated.

“Sure, why not? We ought to celebrate, I mean, you solved the case!” Morgan grinned.

Reid sighed, then nodded and reached into his locker. He, of course, pulled out a beige button-up shirt that he pulled a brown sweater vest over. Morgan was ready in no time, and the two of them bid farewell to Hotchner, who sent a silent wave. Morgan would have invited him, but he knew, oddly enough, Hotch was not one for steaks, nor did he really like going out to dinner with Morgan and Reid, who he believed had somewhat of an odd friendship. Morgan placed his arm over Reid’s shoulder and pulled him a little closer, and leaned in to whisper as if there were some incredible secret about Wilson’s Steakhouse that no one else could know.

“Y’know Carter says we ought to start inviting the whole team to the steakhouse.”

“We  _ do  _ invite them.” Spencer gave him a look, “JJ never wants to come because Will’s got a weird thing about never going to a restaurant with his name on the sign. He swears it’s bad luck and JJ humors him.”

Morgan shook his head and laughed before he slipped away and fished his keys out of his pocket. Reid wasn’t huge on driving, so usually, he’d take the subway, and on rare occasions, Morgan would drive him. Nothing of real interest happened at Wilson’s, safe for Morgan teasing Reid about asking ordering rare steak when he’d hardly done it before. At home, Reid slammed his door and threw his back against it, before he crumpled to his feet. Reid hated going blood-thirsty, and he pressed his hand to his mouth as his fangs protruded slowly. He stumbled to the fridge and grabbed one of the bags of blood. Ethan had given it to him just two weeks prior. Cow blood— not his favorite, but by God it was  _ something _ . He opened it up with trembling hands and sucked the blood quickly into his mouth. It helped the dryness in his throat, but it hardly aided the hunger that’d buried itself deep in his chest. 

His brown eyes, now a dark reddish color, darted around the room. His cat jumped from her place under the couch and onto the coffee table. Reid stared at her, then cursed himself and hurried into his room. He slammed the door again, and the wood splintered slightly with the sheer force of it. He paced on the floor and soon fell back against the bed. He gripped at the sheets, writhing and groaning loudly, his voice echoing off the walls. The hunger was stabbing in his stomach, even his throat, the yelling made it hurt more, but he needed a way to release his anger. Reid stopped when he heard the knocking on his door. He expected it to be Jules, the building manager, arriving at his door with a bright red face to ask him to quit being so loud. The agent made his way towards the door, and he opened it, his mouth remaining tightly shut.

“Reid?” Hotch lifted his brows, “I heard yelling. Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” Reid dropped his head, “Is everything alright?”

“I was on my way home, and I thought about how Morgan told me you fell ill today.” Hotch looked around the empty hall, “May I come in?”

Reid gripped the doorframe, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Reid, you’re hardly standing up.” Hotch looked him over, “You’re very pale. Maybe I should take you to the hospital?”

“No, Hotch, no,” Reid quickly shook his head, not yet looking up, “Maybe you should go.”

Reid reached back to grab the door but stumbled. Hotch caught him, and Reid’s head jerked up. Hotch’s eyes narrowed as he looked into Reid’s.

“Do you have contacts on?” Hotch asked, now noticing Reid’s irises in the sharp light of the hallway, “Reid?”

Reid’s hunger became stronger at the smell of Hotchner’s blood. His superior helped him into his apartment, and after closing the door with his foot, Hotch pulled Reid to the couch. Once laid down, Reid gripped Hotchner’s upper arm as his body trembled. He couldn’t hurt Hotch, not if he didn’t want to abandon his friends and run away. He could get away with it. He could go somewhere far, disguise himself, he’d even be able to hide away for enough time for everyone currently at the BAU to die out, but he’d come to love these humans and didn’t want to abandon them. 

“Reid, you’re shaking. Y—” Hotch froze, “What have you been eating? Reid, I need you to say something.”

Reid squeezed his eyes shut, “I’m sick.”

“Sick?” Hotch’s voice dripped with concern.

Reid nodded, trying to speak with as little mouth movement as possible, “Yes, I’m sick.”

“Is that why you got weak today?”

Reid nodded again. Hotch moved back a tad, finding the closeness between them far from appropriate. He had only grabbed Reid because he was afraid of him passing out, but once the conversation turned serious, he felt it best to move away. Reid sat up slowly, his upper body rising as if his head was an anchor. Hotch sat slowly in the armchair and looked towards a bookshelf, where other people’s television would be.

“How sick are you, Reid?”

“N-Nothing that can’t be cured.” Reid felt horrible for lying, but he couldn’t tell Hotch the truth. 

“Are you going to tell me the truth, Reid?”

“What?”

Hotch turned to him, “The truth. I can tell when you’re not telling the truth. So?”

Reid stared at him for a while. He looked away, and the room became silent. Hotch was patient, he’d always been, and leaned back in the chair as if he was prepared to wait until the sun rose. Reid could wait too. The hunger would pass, but that did not mean it wouldn’t arise once more. Reid sat on his hands as if it would prevent him from leaping across the couch onto Hotch’s lap to break his neck and suck his blood. Reid’s sheer respect and dedication to his superior and his job were what stopped him, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard. Three hours faded by in a painful amount of time, and by then Reid’s teeth had retracted. The bitter feeling of hunger was still there, though it was sort of dull at this point. 

“Reid,” Hotch leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair, “At least tell me that you’re not in danger.”

“I’m not,” Reid whispered, “I promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

Hotchner left a few minutes after Reid assured him that there was no danger, although the genius could see his superior was less than satisfied with the answer. As soon as he was gone, Reid called Ethan, who was there in no time. The musician was quite careless about how he carried around the blood he sold. Right now he had mason jars in a messenger bag. He slipped in through Reid’s bedroom window and chuckled at the state he was in. He handed over a jar, and Reid practically snatched it from his grip before he pointed to the money on his bedside table.

“You’re hardly one for human blood.” Ethan picked up the money and sat on his bed, “What brings on the cravings, Spencer?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been so weak.” Reid gripped the jar between two hands, “It’s been years since I’ve had human blood. I save them for a living, Lord knows I don’t want to be the cause of their pain.”

“A vampire needs human blood, Spencer.” Ethan leaned back, “You’re the only vampire I know who goes out of their way not to drink humans. No wonder you’re so pale.”

“ _ You’re _ pale.” He retorted.

“Spencer,” Ethan cringed, “Please don’t push that myth. Aren’t you the one who was absolutely ready to kill Tyler when he called you pale? When he said every vampire he knew was pale?”

Reid rolled his eyes, “That was like fifty years ago. Tyler’s in France, right? Living it up with wife number 302.”

“Someone’s bound to take a photo of him one day, and some 50-year-old woman is going to come rushing to some poor young bride’s AOL asking a million questions.”

“AOL?” Reid shouted, nearly choking, “Like AOL— the dial-up service from the ’90s? Ethan, I pray to God you’re not out there casually giving out your AOL screenname!”

Ethan shrugged, “The older crowd thinks it’s funny. You know what older women do to me, Spencer.”

“I don’t want to know.” Spencer made a face, “That’s no business of mine.”

Ethan laughed, then slid off his shoes and rested his feet on the bed. Spencer finished the blood, then set the empty, stained jar on the side table. Usually, Ethan would talk with people about how he got the blood or how old the provider was, but Spencer was not the sort who could stomach that. Ethan recalled a time he quite casually mentioned how the blood he obtained for Spencer, about 600 years ago, was from a child, and for the new few centuries, Spencer was giving thousands of dollars to every charity who presented a promise of protecting children. Since he didn’t want Spencer burning through his savings in an attempt to rid himself of the guilt, Ethan kept things to himself. Ethan was careful about his kills. He was a musician, but he bought blood from a man who worked as a Hematologist. 

“Spencer?”

“Mhm?” Reid stood in front of the mirror and focused on cleaning the blood from his teeth. 

“You’ve been at that BAU job for a while. You ever think about going somewhere else?”

“Somewhere else?” Reid glanced at him, “Where would I go?”

“It’s only a matter of time before they stop believing your story about having good genes.” Ethan pointed out, “When they’re all grey-haired and old, but you’re still looking like you haven’t aged a day, they’ll get suspicious. And Diana wants to move soon.”

Reid turned quickly, “You spoke to my mother?”

“She’s so sick of humans, Spencer. She’d much rather spend her days, lucid and not, in the company of people like her.” 

Reid clenched his fists, “What business do you have speaking to my mother?”

“It’s not what you think, Spence.” Ethan laughed, “Your mother and I broke up ages ago.”

“But you’re still in contact with her?” Reid walked up to him, “Why is my mother telling you things she wouldn’t tell me?”

Ethan stood up, “She has been telling you. She hates it there. She hates Vegas. She told me and William that she wants to help to fake her own death.”

Reid rolled his eyes, “And I’m assuming William is all for it?”

“Spencer.” Ethan touched his shoulder, “It’s been years. It’s time you forgave him.”

“I will never forgive him.” Reid pushed Ethan’s hand away, “Nothing can ever convince me to.”

Ethan sighed. He leaned forward and kissed Reid’s cheek. It wasn’t for any intimate reason, really, it was just something he did, though both he and Reid would rather die than have their goodbye seen by anyone else. Reid usually did not let Ethan kiss his cheek if he were angry, but this anger wasn’t directed towards his friend, so the platonic show of affection was permitted. Ethan left the way he came, taking the blood-stained jar with him. Reid crawled into bed, and he welcomed the awkward slumber that did not usually follow. In the morning, he squinted against the sunlight. He unraveled himself from the blankets and trudged to the bathroom, where he showered and rinsed any excess blood from his mouth. Getting out in the morning was the hard part. After getting dressed, he grabbed his bag and coat and left his apartment in an overwrought manner. The subway was his preferred means of traveling. He’d gotten his license forty-three years ago, although he’d been driving longer than that, it wasn’t his favorite activity, so he did it as little as possible. The little walk took any average person 43 minutes, but Reid decided to slow his walk to get there in a little over 30. He was naturally a fast walker and the Franconia-Springfield Transit Station was apart of a routine. When he walked onto the sixth floor, he managed to run into Morgan. The agent grinned at him and immediately threw an arm over his shoulder.

“I can’t believe you’re at work today. I told you that you should stay at home.”

Reid rolled his eyes, “You know better than to ask me to do anything besides work.”

“You could’ve worked from home!” Morgan laughed as they walked into the briefing room, “We’ve all got phones.”

JJ, who was setting the files on the table, looked up when Morgan and Reid entered the room. She had heard about Reid falling ill, and she had texted him to stay home as well, though she doubted he even checked his phone. Reid was odd about texting, and he still had a Motorola Razr in the era of provided smartphones. Although Strauss had asked him many times if he wanted to upgrade to something more, he liked the simplicity of it, and it had always been satisfying to hear the phone shut. 

The team took their seats at the round table as Garcia lifted her room, making sure her back was turned to the screen so she wouldn’t have to see it. Men were being killed in New Orleans. Reid tried not to cringe as he sat up in his seat. The first victim found was James Road, was an 88-year old man found in an alley, stabbed through the heart with a regular kitchen knife. It seemed the assailant also roughed him up a bit, seeing as how he had a shiner and some dried blood on his nose. He was one of  _ nine  _ victims, which infuriated Hotchner and JJ especially, considering how long it took officials in Orleans Parish to make the call. The location made it worse. Ethan and many other vampires Reid knew lived in Orleans, and many of them killed older men and women for blood. Usually, these people were sick, or falling ill, or had one foot in the grave. Some older people even  _ paid  _ to have themselves euthanized. 

“—don’t you think, Reid?”

Reid blinked, and realized the eyes were on him, “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, it seems the unsub has a hatred for older people, maybe stemmed from being ridiculed and betrayed by an older person in their own life?” JJ repeated, “Don’t you think?”

“Oh yeah,” Reid nodded jerkily, “Yeah, sure. Definitely.”

He ignored the worried glances thrown his way as he flipped quickly through the file. Hotch ended the briefing early so they could continue on the plane. According to police in Orleans, there was a kill every two-days, and the last victim had been found twenty-nine hours ago. Morgan gave Reid a ride to the airstrip, despite Hotch planning to do it first. Everyone wanted answers, and there was hardly enough time to ask them all. Morgan was good at pulling answers from people, but Reid was even better at hiding them. So although he put in the effort, Morgan did not get answers about Reid’s well-being. Once on the plane, Reid sat across from JJ, who was looking at the laminated photographs of the victims for anything she might have missed. She dragged her finger down the side, and at the very edge, she nicked her finger. Reid smelled the blood before it came, and he managed to mask the look of hunger with one of slight concern. He opened his bag and handed JJ a bandaid, and she thanked him with a small smile.

“Of course you carry bandaids,” Prentiss sat beside JJ, “What else do you have in there?”

“What don’t I?” Reid patted his messenger bag, “It doubles as a survival kit.”

“No way,” Prentiss tucked her legs underneath her as she knelt in the seat, “Do you expect to get lost in the woods?”

JJ nudged her with an elbow, silently telling her to quit teasing, but Reid just smiled and shook his head.

“You never know.”

Rossi, who sat on the couch beside Morgan, looked between the three young agents and pointed at Reid.

“He’ll save your life one day. Then you’ll appreciate the bag.”

“You’re all acting like it’s ridiculously huge,” Reid rolled his eyes, “It’s just old cases that relate to the one we have now, and, of course, books.”

“We’ll be landing soon,” Hotch spoke up, “JJ and Prentiss, you’ll go to the most recent crime scene. Morgan, I want you and Rossi to look through James Road’s apartment for anything that could lead us to a connection with the victims. Something other than age. Reid, you and I will go introduce ourselves to the detective and officers.”

Reid never liked going to the station first. He was happy they had a map laid out for him but other than that, there wasn’t much to look forward to. Detective Simon was a tall man with broad shoulders and short brown hair. As he walked into the room, he and Reid exchanged a glance before looking away. Hotch, who noticed, reminded himself to ask about it later, but for now, he stuck his hand out, though did not bother morphing his expression into anything more than his trademark resting face.

“I’m Agent Hotchner, we spoke over the phone. This is Dr. Reid. The rest of the team will join us soon.”

“Right, right.” Simon looked at Reid, then nodded, “Spencer. Good to see you. How’s Ethan?”

“Busy.” Reid did not lift his eyes from the map, “You know how it is.”

“Spencer here is good friends with my son,” Simon explained, “Figured they’d both graduate from the academy, but Ethan had other plans. Kids and their ambitions.”

Hotch frowned, “We’re here to focus on the case. I’m sure you and Dr. Reid can reminisce some other time?”

“Sure.”

“What can you tell us so far? It’s in my understanding that you believe you have a suspect?” Hotchner glanced at Reid, who seemed distracted by marking places on the map.

“Yes.” Detective Simon nodded, “A young guy named Louis Tylers. He was arrested by an officer who pulled him over. She found the same brand of kitchen knives in his truck.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Reid announced, “If he is killing older people, he’ll react better to a person around his age.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few more notes: Vampires are common, but they're treated like some obscure subject that people don't want to talk about. Killing and hunting the supernatural is something that's also normal in this world, no matter how humane the "monsters" seem. So many supernatural things coexist with humans in the world. Like, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, wendigos, dragons (rarely), witches, sirens, etc...

Louis Tylers, according to Garcia’s research, was a student at Delgado Community in New Orleans. He’d been raised by his grandmother after his mother was killed in a drunk driving accident. He’d had various trips to the ER with unexplained bumps and bruises, but his grandmother was never investigated and he had never been removed from the home. Reid suspected abuse might have been a factor, meaning there was a very slim chance Louis might have been a suspect. The knives were accessible to him and didn’t raise many questions, and hatred for his guardian might have been some sort of stressor. When Reid opened the door, Louis looked up, and both the suspect and agent went pale. 

Reid moved slowly into the room, carrying a file, and sunk into the seat across from Louis. The culinary student looked at him with a breath he held in. Reid opened the file and looked down at the photo of the first person killed. It was a blown-up license photo, nothing graphic, but he raised it and set it in front of him.

“Louis? Do you recognize her?”

“What am I doing here? Some cop found knives in my car and suddenly I’m a suspect?! I’m going to a fucking cooking school!” Louis slammed his fists on the table.

“Do you recognize her?” Reid repeated calmly.

“No! Do you drag everyone in here and ask them about missing people?”

“This woman is dead, Louis. She’s one of nine people dead. Do you recognize her?”

“Why is that important?” Louis asked, “You think I killed her? Sp—”

“Mr. Tylers,” Reid interrupted, “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just wondering if you know her.”

“No!”

“Have you heard anything about the murders, Louis? Can I call you Louis?”

No response came, but Louis’ expression became taunt.

“Did you know that the killer uses the same bran of red-handled meat carving knives the officer found in your truck? Do you need sixteen of the same versions of the same knife?”

“It’s my favorite brand.”

“Louis, the knife used by the killer cost about $139.00,” Reid showed him a photo, “That’s $1,251 dollars lost among nine people. Maybe the kill is worth the cost? The thrill of it?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Tell me about your grandmother, Louis.”

“What for?”

“She abused you, didn’t she?” Reid knew the answer, “That’s why you hate old people. Your grandmother beat you and your grandfather did nothing.”

Louis looked away.

“That was only after your mother was killed. That drunk driver, he was well into his sixties, wasn’t he?”

“You shut the hell up,” Louis pointed at him, “You say one more word and I’ll beat the hell outta you.”

“Louis,” Reid didn’t have to fake offense, “Have you always been so violent?”

Louis stood, and Reid lifted his eyes but did not flinch, “You can check with my classmates! You can check with my roommate!”

“Roommate?”

“Ethan and I rented a space in Jefferson. At Atrium,” Louis sat down, “It’s cheap, but he pays most of the bills anyway.”

“Ethan?” Reid repeated.

Louis crossed his arms, “Yeah. He’s a musician in New Orleans, but he’s got a side business.”

Reid stared for a long time before he collected his files and left the room. He closed the door behind him, surprised to find Morgan and JJ had since joined Hotch and Detective Simon behind the two-way mirror. Morgan was the first to take note of Reid’s distress.

“Kid? What’s going on?”

“Ethan. I know him, I know exactly who he’s talking about.”

JJ frowned, “Is that a bad thing?”

“If Louis is the killer, that means Ethan—” Reid took a breath, “Ethan might know. How much longer do you have Louis Tylers, Detective?”

“We just brought him in. He seems too distressed to ask for a lawyer, so we’ll work off that.”

Reid turned to Hotch, “This case won’t be personal to me, I swear. But if we’re bringing Ethan in, let me be the one to do it.”

“Take Morgan with you,” Hotch nodded firmly.

Morgan and Reid headed towards the door immediately. Reid felt something then. A tense, harsh feeling in the back of his throat. It traveled to the pit of his stomach and lay there, festering, growing deeper and heavier as they walked towards the car. Hungry. He was hungry. Morgan slipped into the front seat while Reid climbed up into the passenger side, his panting harsh. Morgan started up the car and followed Reid’s breathless directions. Before they could go into the club where Reid knew Ethan was at this hour, Morgan reached over and squeezed Reid’s knee.

“Deep breaths, kid.”

Reid just nodded. He left the car with Morgan at his heels. The inside of the club was dim. It was empty, being the afternoon and all, so Reid spotted Ethan immediately. The black-haired man was sitting at the bar, having a dark red drink. Reid walked up behind him and gripped his arm so roughly, Morgan’s brows furrowed in slight surprise at the way the fabric of Ethan’s shirt squeezed between Reid’s fingers.

“Spencer?” Ethan did not seem bothered, “What on Earth are you doing here?”

“Louis is in custody.”

Ethan stood up, “What the Hell for?”

“He’s a suspect in a string of murders,” Reid hissed, and Ethan glanced at Morgan, “You’re his roommate. Mind if we ask you some questions?”

The bartender and Ethan exchanged a glance. She poured Reid a drink and handed it over. Morgan got a beer, which he wasn’t opposed to, but he also didn’t want to drink on the job. Ethan led them away from the bar, down a set of stairs, and into what looked like an underground strip club. There was another bar, but no one was behind it.

“Ethan.”

“Calm down. The law knows about it, and there’s no illegal practice here. Maybe a few guys with rolled-up bills but never anything too crazy.” Ethan clinked his glass against Reids, “Drink up, Doc. I know how much you like the good stuff.”

Reid lifted the glass to his nose and took a whiff. His eyes flickered red before going back to normal. He nearly dropped it, and he would have, if not for how quickly he sat down.

“What can you tell us about Louis?” Morgan asked, “Have you noticed any suspicious behavior?”

“Nope. That kid’s always been distant,” Ethan shrugged, then looked at Reid, “Never pegged him for a rat. He send you here?”

“He told us you lived together,” Reid squeezed the glass.

Ethan took a sip and leaned back, “Did he? So, what? You think Lou killed those people? Spence? You’ve known Lou for ten years.”

Reid closed his eyes and tried not to curse out loud. Morgan glanced at Reid from the corner of his eye before he scooted forward and tried to discreetly comfort his friend by pressing their legs together. Ethan’s eyes flicked down for a split second before he made eye-contact with Morgan. 

“Agent Morgan, right?” Ethan smiled, “Spence talks about you.”

“Do you think Louis killed those people?” Morgan asked, “We got forensics trying to match prints right now. Do you think we’ll find anything?”

“Who knows?” Ethan smiled, showing his teeth.

Morgan didn’t flinch. Vampires weren’t very common. Since hunting them was not completely illegal in most states, many vampires stayed hidden. A person could go years without ever knowing someone was a vampire. The lore and rules around the supernatural were oddly implemented in New Orleans. Some people embraced it while others found it demonic and against man. There were many bars, clubs, and schools owned and operated by vampires. Reid, who was one of many vampires who chose to remain hidden in every aspect, was shocked when Ethan showed his teeth; despite him being sort of open about it.

“Did you know that baring your teeth at an agent is a threat?’ Morgan asked, “Listen, I don’t want to take you in. You run a clean business. You’re a friend of Reid’s. And it’s not like any evidence points you towards these murders.”

“I’ve been around for centuries, Agent Morgan. Louis hasn’t been here long enough to really hate humans. He didn’t do it. He might do it in 400 years. But he didn’t.” Ethan shook his head, “He wouldn’t.”

Morgan nodded. He stood, and Reid did too before he set his drink in front of Ethan. The musician stood, and without breaking eye contact with Morgan, he kissed Reid on the cheek. 

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

“So that’s it, kid? You’re just not going to tell me what that was?”

Reid walked a little faster, his fists clenching as he did so. He’d been quiet in the car, and he knew the conversation would carry into the station. Morgan hated being ignored, and even more than that, he hated it when Reid kept secrets from him. Ethan wasn’t really a secret, but Reid knew not of the team’s stances on vampires. Sure a few cases had involved them, but they were almost never the aggressor in any situation. Still, the violent connotation was directed towards them. There were people who hated vampires and people who loved vampires, and the discourse surrounding the whole thing was never a topic of any discussion Reid had had with a human. Morgan wasn’t angry that Reid had befriended a vampire, he was just pissed off Ethan had kissed his friend with such a hungry look in his eye. Reid knew it was because Ethan had been drinking blood, but Morgan didn’t. Vampires couldn’t even drink the blood of a vampire if they wanted to. It didn’t go down well and caused awful stomach pains.

“Reid.” Morgan pressed as they walked into the room where the team was.

Hotch turned to them, “Where is he?”

“We didn’t pick him up.” Reid answered, “Ethan and Louis had nothing to do with this.”

“Reid—” Hotch began, but Reid interrupted him.

“The prints should be back by now. Were they a match to Louis?”

“Spence, you’re pale,” JJ stood, “Maybe you should sit?”

“I don’t need to sit down.” Reid pinched the bridge of his nose, “Were they a match?”

“No,” Prentiss replied wearily, “But Louis said he could help us track down a man who fits the profile. He moved to New Orleans right around the time the killings started. He works as a chef in a small restaurant, so he’d have access to knives. And he is very open about his hatred towards older people. He was convicted in 2013 for running a red light and hitting an elderly woman who stood on the sidewalk.”

“Do you have a name?” Morgan asked.

Rossi handed him one of the tablets, “Franklin Murphy. Or at least that’s the name he’s going by this time around.”

“He’s a vampire?” Reid asked, his voice not above a whisper.

“Yes,” Hotch nodded, “Which means we’ll likely have to have holy water on hand.”

“You don’t plan to kill him?” Reid stepped forward, “We have to go about this as we would a human.”

“Right.” JJ nodded, “The holy water will only be enough to burn him, so we’ll have the upper hand and subdue him. No one was planning on murder, Spence.”

Reid just nodded.

“Maybe you should sit down, kid.” Rossi stood, “Do you want some water?”

“Reid, if this case is getting to you, maybe you should step back.” Hotch looked him over, “We understand your connection to Ethan—”

“—And Louis,” Morgan added.

“—And Louis,” Hotch nodded, although confused, “Might be rendering your ability to go about this in a rational way. I think—”

“I can’t step away.” Reid looked Hotchner dead in the eye, “I swear, no more distractions. I’ve never given anyone any deals on any cases, even when I have known them. I won’t let anything get in the way.”

“Not even Ethan?” Morgan asked.

Reid rolled his eyes and looked to his friend, “I’ve known him since I was a kid, alright? We have a connection. It’s nothing like what you think.”

“What he thinks?” Prentiss asked, “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine.” Reid lifted a hand, “It’s nothing.”

Things settled down, especially after Rossi and JJ left to get dinner. Louis, who had been let go, for now, stopped on his way outside. He stood to watch Reid pace inside the vestibule, and he went up to him slowly. Touching Reid was always a gamble. Louis never knew if he was going to jump a mile high or slap his hand away. Today, it was the latter. Louis didn’t look shocked when Reid slapped his hand, but his brows did raise when he saw Reid’s expression.

“You hungry?”

“No,” Reid weakly shook his head, “I can’t be. I had some no less than 24 hours ago.”

“The sun’s setting,” Louis shrugged, “It’s normal to be hungry that soon after. You wanna grab a bite?”

“I can’t go anywhere with you.” Reid whispered, “Not right now.”

“After then?” Louis touched his chin.

Reid turned away, “Don’t do that. They’ll start to think something of it.”

“Do you care?”

“I care about my job.” Reid gave him a pointed look, “I care about Nel not ripping my throat out.”

“Nel and I have been separated for years.” Louis leaned forward and looked Reid up and down.

“So have we.” Reid leaned away, “Isn’t Ethan waiting for you?”

“Is that what you think?” Louis laughed, “Ethan’s straight as a rail. Besides, I’m not really in his age demographic. You know why he likes them old.”

Reid cringed, “He’s got this thing about wanting to tell me. I don’t want to know.”

“Spencer.”

Reid looked at him.

Louis smiled, “You really do need to eat. You’ll get sick. And then you’ll go feral, and that’s not a pretty picture. Remember when William did?”

“I don’t _like_ remembering it.” Reid touched his neck, “Hard to believe that was eighty years ago.”

“You made some pretty cool friends out of it,” Louis lowered his voice as an officer passed by, “How about I bring you something at the hotel later?”

Reid picked his nails, “You’ll get it from Ethan?”

“Of course.”

“And it’ll be from the blood bank.” Reid hissed, “Not pulled without consent.”

“Hand to God, babe.” Louis lifted his right hand, then turned and walked outside. 

He only walked a few feet before he began to fly. Reid watched him go, and when he turned to walk back into the station, Hotch was standing at the door. Reid gasped, then paled and looked around. Hotch approached him quickly and stared him down with a hard expression. Reid felt small, despite he and Hotch being the same size. Reid could easily kill Hotch in a fight. Not because he had super strength— he tried not to roll his eyes at the aspect of that myth— but because he would simply do anything to protect his secret. If Hotch turned out to be anti-monster, what more could he do?

“What was that?”

“What was what?” Reid looked back.

“Don’t tell me you’re dating a suspect.”

“No! _That’s_ what you’re worried about?!” Reid gasped, “No. Me and Louis would never work. He doesn’t know how to settle down.”

Hotch gave him a look.

“It’s nothing, Hotch, I promise.” Reid whispered, “He asked me about Ethan.”

“Don’t they live together?”

“Ethan hardly trusts him,” Reid replied.

“Why’s that?”

Reid stepped back, “I wish I knew. They’re good friends. Ethan just wouldn’t put his life in Louis’ hands.”

“Would you?”

“What?” Reid looked at him, “Why would you ask me that?”

“I don’t want feelings to get in the way. Morgan told me how Ethan kissed you.”

“It isn’t like that,” Reid sighed, “Ethan is straight. He kisses me on the cheek the same way someone might kiss their child on the forehead. There’s nothing sexual about it.”

“I don’t want to control who you date, Reid. But I do want you to know that I wouldn’t judge you.” Hotch almost sounded awkward, “For being with a man.”

Reid stared at him for a while, before he turned away. He walked off, leaving Hotch to think about how Reid’s explanation had gone right over his head. Sure, it was a nice sentiment, but far from Reid’s point. Hotch decided to let him go. Towards the end of the night, when everyone had had their full and settled at the hotel, Reid turned up, looking better. He walked into the room he’d been left to share with Hotch. He showered as quietly as he could, but when he walked into the main room with a towel around his shoulders and matching pajamas, Hotch turned on the bedside lamp and rubbed his eyes.

“Reid?”

“Hotch.”

“Where have you been?” His superior yawned, “I could hardly get everyone to settle down. Morgan wanted to tear the city apart, looking for you.”

Reid’s brows raised, “Oh? Maybe you’re not all the way awake?”

Hotch shrugged, then flicked off the light and laid back down. Reid released a breath, then climbed under the covers of his own bed. He’d gone to see Ethan and Louis. Ethan had brought back blood from his friend, and the three of them had had a feast. More than three pints each. Reid liked the variety of it all, but the guilt was still buried in his stomach, despite the blood being taken with consent. Many people donated blood to provide for hospitals, and some people did it to provide for vampires. The cost was large, and some felt it unethical to drink human blood when there wasn’t a need, Reid included, but he’d had it two days in a row and craved more. Even now, he wanted more. Reid writhed around in bed for a little while and cursed softly when he heard Hotch move. Then came the light.

“Reid?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re tossing and turning. Is something wrong?” He sounded alert now.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“If you’re hungry, Morgan left food on the table by that couch. And JJ left some water for you. Probably not cold, but it’s something.”

“I’m fine.” Reid held his breath as he sunk his teeth in his lip, grabbing the sheets as if to prevent himself from jumping up and biting his boss.

“Oh.” Hotch sounded surprised, “Alright, I’ll leave you be then.”

Hotch turned off the light a bit too fast. Reid glanced at him, now noticing Hotch’s back was to him and his breathing seemed off. He turned away quickly, and released a strangled breath, his hands coming to press against his face. Reid wanted more blood, and he swore he felt his mind growing fainter. That’s when everything went black.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever been so exhausted/hungry/dehydrated that you fainted? Just me? 🥺 Hm?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen way too fast.
> 
> Louis and Reid don't know how to tell everyone the truth. There's fear in knowing.
> 
> Reid asks Hotch a question.

Franklin Murphy had been Dean Harrison forty years ago. Some vampires changed their names and took on new identities. It was expensive if one were to do the process legally, but doing so illegally was cheaper and didn’t leave a paper trail. Franklin, or Dean rather, was the sort of man who liked leaving a trail to where he was. He was one of the oldest vampires around, he’d been turned in his late 30’s, so there was an age to his face, but not much. Reid had known him as Dean, but he’d grown fond of Franklin as well. In the US, a life sentence only lasted 20 years. Sometimes it was longer if the crime was brutal, but the standard was 15-20 years. Franklin had served three life sentences on three different occasions. Many agents, including Hotchner, believed he allowed himself to be thrown under the bus, or perhaps he took the fall for friends.

Franklin claimed not to know Louis. Reid did not know for sure, but he had a feeling they were lying. He had woken up that morning feeling as if someone had split his head open. He’d popped two aspirin and tried to go about his day, but he knew he was hungry and had fainted the night before. The last thing Reid wanted was to go feral. He was gnawing his teeth into an apple when Hotch walked by with Franklin. Morgan, who sat with him near the crime board, looked up through the window and stared at the suspect. When Morgan stood, so did Reid, and the two of them watched as Hotch released Franklin’s arm.

“You’re stronger than you look, agent.” Franklin grinned, “Hotchner, right?”

Rossi came in and stood near Reid. He had gone with Hotch to pick up Franklin, but he’d let the two of them out so he could park the car. Franklin sat down, then pulled half-heartedly at the metal cuffs on his wrists.

“You know I can easily get out of these?” He taunted, “Not because I’m strong, but because I’ve been cuffed millions of times, and there’s not a pair in the world I can’t get out of.”

“What if we made them iron?”

“How unethical, agent.” Franklin crossed his legs, “You’d have blood on your hands.”

“Why did you kill those innocent people?”

“Innocent,” Franklin laughed, “All old people are sinners, Agent. Even me. Check my records, you know how many times I’ve gone down for this same sort of thing.”

“Tell me what you did.”

Franklin smiled, “The first victim hadn’t seen her daughter in over fifteen years. Do you know why?”

“How did you kill her?” Hotch asked.

“She didn’t give a reason.” Franklin ignored him, “But I knew it was because her daughter had a baby out of wedlock. But at least she was raising him. Doing a better job than that old woman ever could.”

“Tell me how you killed her.” Hotch leaned his hands on the table.

“First, I followed her. She went down to Bourbon, but I didn’t know why. She stopped in this jazz club after work, then she was on her way. I had the knife in my bag, and I didn’t look suspicious. I carried an empty guitar case, just to make myself look like I blended in.” Franklin paused, “Then, I pushed her down. I pressed the tip of the knife against the nape of her neck, and she was so scared, she didn’t move.”

Hotch’s expression darkened.

“Human meat falls so easily off the bone, Agent Hotchner. When I was done, I left the knife there. A little mark, a clue, if you will.” Franklin grinned, then wiggled his fingers, “Care to check my prints?”

Hotch glared, then left the room. The agents who’d been watching moved away, knowing how much Hotch hated men who were like Franklin. JJ and Prentiss returned from the funeral of one of the victims, something they had been personally invited to, and they joined the others in the room as Hotch began to speak.

“He fits the profile. And he knows about the murders. We didn’t mention the incision on the back of the neck to anyone.” Hotch looked towards the two-way mirror, “We have our killer.”

Reid felt angry. He wasn’t sure why. The case felt incomplete. Too easy. Franklin was processed and booked, and an hour later the team was packing up. Quantico was not far. Neither was DC. When Reid entered his home, he was not surprised to see the figure sitting on his couch. Louis looked up when he came in, his eyes red, but not because he was hungry. Reid set down his messenger bag and looked at his old friend for a while before he sat down in the armchair.

“I have to call the police, Lou.”

“I know.” Louis sighed, “I just wanted to see you again, I didn’t want our last face-to-face to be in that station.”

“It wouldn’t have been our last. We would have outlived them all. Lived to see another century.” Reid picked up his cellphone and sent Hotch a text. 

They’d be here any time now.

“Did you know they’re putting vampires in prison with iron bars?” Lou whispered, “So we can’t even get too close to it. We can’t go anywhere.”

“That’s the point of prison, Lou.”

“You were right, Spencer. I did kill those people because I was mad at my grandmother.”

Spencer watched him take out a gun, “I know.”

“Should I shoot you?”

Spencer shrugged, “Probably. We should wreck some stuff to make it look like a struggle.”

“I sort of think I might like jail.” Lou knocked over the lamp and a few books, “I think I’ll see Geo again.”

“Geo,” Spencer whispered, “I remember when he was Luke.”

“I remember when you were someone else too.” Lou’s eyes followed Spencer as he stood and leaned against the frame in the hallway.

“You do?”

“Mhm.” Lou raised the gun, “But you’ve always been Spencer. Just some other variation of.”

Reid took out his gun and threw it on the floor, “Have I?”

“Mhm.” Lou closed his eyes when he shot, and Reid gripped his shoulder and crumpled to the floor, “You think I could be the king of my cellblock?”

Reid let Lou move close to him, “No doubt about it.”

“Franklin wanted to see old friends. He’s been here so long that fifteen years to him feels like fifteen weeks.”

“That’s still a long time.”

Lou used a single finger to push some of Reid’s hair from his eyes, “I suppose. Does it hurt?”

“Not too bad.” Reid winced, “I won’t say I’m used to it, but it doesn’t hurt like it did the first time.”

“Do you think humans will find a way to make iron bullets?”

“No.” Reid said, “Iron’s far too light. Too hard. It destroys the gun.”

“Think they’ll put me in the chair?” Louis’s voice cracked.

“No,” Reid touched his face, “Nevada doesn’t use the chair. And I’ll make sure you don’t get more than a slap on the wrist for this.”

Lou turned his eyes towards the door when it opened. He stood quickly, then threw the gun down and lifted his hands. Reid watched from the corner of his eye as Morgan tackled him. He felt hands on his shoulder, and he looked at Hotch, who tried to stop the blood from seeping through his fingers.

“Hotch.”

“The EMTs are coming up, Reid.” Hotch looked back when JJ turned on the living room light. 

The brightness of the room looked odd to Reid, who’d grown used to the dullness of his wall lamps.

“Hotch.”

“Save your breath, Reid.”

“I just have a question.”

“What is it?” Hotch asked, not angry at Reid, just worried about him having been vulnerable in his home.

“Do you have a guest room?”

“Yes.” Hotch’s brows screwed together, then he nodded knowingly, “ _Yes_.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now be quiet. Save your breath.”


	6. Chapter 6

Going to the hospital for surgery was never something Reid really loved. The smell of his own blood wouldn’t get his hunger going, but he did wish he didn’t have to go through the trouble of it. Hotch had gotten in the ambulance with him, while Morgan and Prentiss had stayed back to clean up the mess. They knew Reid wouldn’t want to lose a place he was comfortable in, and to their knowledge, Louis had somehow gotten in and got the upper-hand. Garcia, JJ, and Rossi sat in the waiting room while Hotch went to go get the blood washed off his hands. When he returned, Reid was out of surgery, and his doctor was allowing his team to see him. He was in good condition, the bullet went straight through, and he wouldn’t be in a sling for long. Hotch was first to stand, first to make his way down the hall, and first into Reid’s room.

He was up, in his pants, and he was shirtless but looked to be working his way into one.

“Reid?”

Reid’s eyes flickered towards the door, “Oh. Hey guys.”

“What are you doing out of bed?” Garcia asked, moving past Hotch, “I’m sure the Doc doesn’t want you up.”

“I’m fine. I just need to schedule a follow-up appointment.” Reid looked to the doctor, “Right?”

“Dr. Reid.” She moved forward, “You know better than anyone that we should run a few more tests. You should rest, even if you feel fine.”

“I want to be discharged.”

“Kid,” Rossi said simply as if telling him to calm down with the simple word.

“I don’t want to stay here.” Reid spoke in a rougher tone, before he looked to the doctor, “I’d like to go home.”

“Reid.” Hotch said, and reached out to touch his arm, “At least let them fit you for a brace.”

Reid pulled away from him, then looked to JJ. She came into the room after taking a few deep breaths. It was always hardest on her to see Reid hurting. She and Garcia walked with him to his bed, where he sat down reluctantly. It seemed like forever before Hotch was able to help him into the car. They stopped by Reid’s house for books and clothes, and soon enough they arrived at Hotch’s house. Reid had only asked to come because he knew his respect for Hotch would keep him from doing anything rash. Morgan was important to him, more important than Hotch in some aspects, but Morgan was the sort of friend who liked to cuddle and be close. More often than not Reid would be laying on the couch with Morgan’s head on his stomach, arms wrapped around his waist. He’d be there at all times, and Reid knew from smelling him that Morgan’s blood was his taste. Hotch drank scotch, and Reid didn’t really like the taste of it. Hotch drank it a lot with Rossi, and even more when he was alone, so it lingered, and Reid knew this.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” Reid got out of the car, and Hotch grabbed his bag for him.

Walking into Hotch’s house felt like being in a place no one had any business being in. Hotchner had a very lived-in feeling to his house. Reid could tell that Hotch missed Haley. She took Jack not too long ago, and Reid could tell that coping with it was hard. Hotch was quick to move into the kitchen and put away the bottle on the counter. Reid frowned but didn’t question it. By now, if he’d gone with Morgan, Reid might have already been in pajamas that were not his own. Morgan would have pulled out his favorite ice cream and things would have felt simple. Reid did consider Hotch a friend, but never had he been the sort of friend Reid might want to cuddle or eat ice cream with. Morgan was the only person on God’s green Earth who knew about Reid’s feelings towards Hotch, but even so, he thought it was just a factor of Reid finding Hotch attractive. 

“I always forget how cold your house is,” Reid commented.

“Better cold than hot.” Hotch shrugged, and that was it.

Hotch led Reid to the guest room upstairs and set his bag down on the bed. The silence floated between them before Hotch spoke.

“You knew Louis did it.”

“I had a feeling. When I saw him in my apartment, that’s when I knew for sure.” Reid looked away, “Are you angry?”

“No. Not at you.” Hotch gestured his arm, “I’m angry at Louis for shooting you. Morgan said it looked like you put up a good fight.”

“Hotch?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean for this to be an odd question, but the wound is causing some pain in my back. Usually, I would ask Morgan, but I didn’t want to in front of the team. Plus, I  _ know  _ Morgan had a friend over, I mean I could practically cut through the smell of her perfume, and—”

“Reid, Reid, please.” Hotch held up his hand, “I’ll help you remove the sling so you can move your elbow and fingers. You can lay down, but let me know if I hurt you, OK?”

Reid nodded. His throat went dry as Hotch came up to him. The older agent gently removed the sling, and Reid sat down on the bed before he laid down. He rolled on his side that belonged to his uninjured shoulder and winced. Just as he went to move more, Hotch touched his arm.

“It’s alright. Stay like this.” Hotch pressed a hand to his back, “Here?”

“Lower,” Reid whispered.

“Here?” Hotch’s fingers grazed the thin fabric of his tee-shirt, and Reid nodded.

Hotch kept him still by holding his hip, and he pressed his warm hand to Reid’s back. The pressure made Reid groan, and his eyes fluttered shut. Morgan was a good masseuse, he knew all the right places and could find areas to crack, but Reid felt Hotch’s massages felt more domestic. Probably because he’d given Haley a few. The thought of her made Reid’s eyes fly open. Haley never had any issue with him. Reid remembered the first time he met her had been at Hotch’s house, this same house when he was invited over for dinner with Gideon and some old lawyer friends of Hotch’s. He had known back then that he’d only been invited because he was the youngest person to have ever gotten the FBI’s interest. He knew he was a spectacle, at least to Gideon. Hotch had treated him like a guest, not a project. Reid had started to like Hotch after that night, and he felt like a homewrecker despite never having any intentions of ever saying anything. Haley had tried to start a friendship with him after failing with JJ and Garcia, both of which felt it weird to be close with their boss’s wife. Reid and Haley had gone with one another to a bookstore, but for some reason after that, she and Reid decided it just felt weird.

Reid winced suddenly, and Hotch paused.

“Does it hurt here?” His superior sounded concerned, “It’s tight.”

“Yes.” He nodded jerkily, “Thanks for doing this, Hotch. I hope it’s not too weird.”

“I’m just helping you, Reid. I’d do it for any one of you.” Hotch meant well, but his words hurt.

“Any one of us?” Reid whispered before he realized Hotch had heard him.

Hotch pulled his hand away, “Sure, Reid. Any one of my team members. Do you remember when JJ threw her shoulder out? Who do you think was helping her with the ponytails?”

“You?” Reid laughed, “I thought she’d done it with one hand. Or maybe Will helped her.”

“Will tried.” Hotch smiled very faintly, “He couldn’t do it the way she liked.”

Reid slowly moved on his back, “Hotch?”

“Yes?”

“You know why, right? Why I’m so close with Ethan?”

Hotch looked at him, “Yes. The night you were tossing and turning in the hotel, I thought you were doing something.”

“What?” Reid turned red.

“After thinking about it, I remembered coming to see you and noticing your eyes. The stain on your teeth.” Hotch looked over his face, “Why do you keep it a secret?”

“Strauss was wearing a necklace when I first met her.”

Hotch looked confused.

“It’s common practice amongst hunters to wear the teeth of their kills.” Reid closed his eyes, “I saw it and decided that I could never tell any of you. But before this, before the BAU, I lived in Greece. Even then nobody knew. I’ve been friends with Ethan for one hundred and three years. He and I always travel together. So we’re close. So we feel safe.”

“He’s your best friend.”

“He’s like a brother.”

“Were you born a vampire?” Hotch asked, “Or turned?”

“Turned. I was 23, when my father, William, went feral and bit me. He’d been turned too.”

“So you’ve been 23 one hundred and three for years?” Hotch asked.

“No. I’ve looked this way for eighty years. I was friends with Ethan long before I turned 23. We’d known each other since birth. Our mothers hardly ever separated us. I was 23 when I got turned, and that was eighty years ago. I got turned eighty years ago.” Reid sighed.

“You said William turned you. William as in your father?”

“Yes. He turned my mother too.”

“While she was admitted?”

“Mhm. She’s open about being a vampire. Most of the doctors and nurses who were there when she first arrived have died.”

“I see. When you placed your mother in the hospital, were they anything like they were today?”

Reid closed his eyes tightly, “I don’t want to talk about that. They’ve gotten better. She’s been moved a few times. She liked the weather in Vegas, and the facility was better. So she’s there now.”

“Are the things we know the truth?” Hotch whispered curiously, “About your father leaving?”

“You and Morgan are the only ones I’ve told. About my mother, I mean.” Reid used his uninjured arm to shield his eyes, “Morgan thinks I’m human. I really was ten, when my father left, but he came back now and again to check on us. To check on my mother.”

“I’m sorry. You were just a kid.” Hotch used his finger to move hair from Reid’s face in the same manner Louis had. 

“It’s over now.” Reid touched Hotch’s hand, “And I’m safe now. William is out of my life.”

“Good.” Hotch seemed to be moving closer, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I feel safe here.” Reid didn’t move away, “With you.”

“You do?” Hotch could feel Reid’s breath on his face.

“Mhm.”

When they connected, Reid felt guilt, regret, and longing all at once. It was a strange, consuming feeling that he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. With Reid laying down and Hotch sitting on the bed, there was an obvious power dynamic at play. At some point, Reid couldn’t breathe, but Hotch just pressed harder against his lips. When he came up for air, he pushed Reid’s hair off his forehead and took in his bewildered expression.

“Reid.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry, we shouldn’t—”

“I know.” Reid struggled to sit up as Hotch moved away.

He helped him put back on the brace, and then Reid was left alone in the silence of the guest room. He slipped off his shoes, then kicked his things onto the floor and laid down. Reid was angry. Pissed, even. Not at Hotch, never at Hotch, just at the situation. He’d waited years to kiss Hotch, and it had to turn out like this. Reid wasn’t even sure why he kissed Hotch, or why Hotch kissed him, or why the admitting of him being a vampire seemed so intriguing. Reid squeezed his eyes shut, and tried hard not to think about what might happen tomorrow. 


	7. Chapter 7

Reid wondered if one day there could be a way to wipe every embarrassing memory from one’s mind. If someone came along and somehow created it, Reid would be front and center, ready to rid himself of the memory of kissing Hotch. In all his years, Reid had had his fair share of awkward morning-afters, and although he and Hotch had not slept together, it still felt odd to get up and shuffle into his superior’s kitchen. Hotch was standing at the counter, his hand wrapped tightly around a small, stout glass of scotch. 

“It’s so early,” Reid commented, “Why not coffee?”

“Coffee’s not strong enough.” Hotch didn’t look up, “I got an email from JJ. We’ve got a case in Denver.”

“What’s the case about?”

Hotch looked tired, “Someone’s killing vampires.”

“Oh. Details?” 

“Reid—”

“How are they being killed?”

“Torture.” Hotch finally looked at him, “They’re tortured for three days, then nailed to an iron cross.”

“Crucifixion,” Reid muttered, “Is that all? Tortured and crucified?”

“Yes.” Hotch took a sip, “Reid, I don’t think this case—”

“If you make me sit out without me knowing or having any personal connection towards the victims, then what will that look like?” Reid asked, “They’ll suspect something is up if I sit this one out.”

“I don’t want it to become too much for you.”

“It won’t.”

“Reid, you’re a target.”

“I’m not. I’m good at hiding it. The only person who would be able to tell are other vampires. And because iron burns the _shit_ out of us, I doubt a vampire is a culprit.”

It felt wrong to hear Reid curse.

“Reid, I don’t mean to offend you, but you know there’s a possibility that this is a hunter trained to notice subtle things.”

“Strauss can’t tell what I am. Neither can anyone else.” Reid paused, “I’ll be fine.” 

Reid showered after Hotch helped him wrap the brace in plastic. It was difficult, especially since Reid knew he would heal soon yet he’d still have to wear the brace. Driving from Quantico to DC in silence would never have been Hotch’s top choice on how to spend his morning. As much as he spoke at work and around others, Reid was a surprisingly quiet person. Hotch kept on wondering what was going on in Reid’s head. It looked like his wheels were spinning. It looked like he _wanted_ to say something. The briefing didn’t take long, and then they were off to Denver. Reid took a seat beside Morgan, who was whispering something to him. It took Hotch far too long to realize he wanted to shove himself between the two of them. He wanted Morgan away from Reid. Hotch knew Morgan didn’t have any interest in Reid, they were just close, but Hotch felt jealous. 

“These vampires are pretty young.” Reid looked over a few pictures, “None of them have been around for more than ten years. You can tell by how they’re teeth aren’t worn.”

JJ quirked a brow as Reid dug through his messenger bag. He pulled out a small red book and cracked the cover. There was a small array of polaroids pressed between the pages, and Reid picked through them before setting one day. It was an old, worn photograph of his friend Ethan, standing and showing off his teeth. He was close to the camera as if the purpose of the photo had been to capture his smile. 

“See? Ethan gave me this a few years back. He’d been a vampire since birth, and when we met, he’d since drank human blood. Whatever age a born-vampire is when they drink blood is the age they remain.” Reid pushed his hair from his face, “There should be cracks and subtle dents, but it looks like these vampires have hardly used their teeth at all.”

“How’s that possible?” Rossi asked.

“Some vampires decide that puncturing skin is violent. Unnecessary. So six years ago, a blood bank was opened. Eligible people are permitted to donate two pints of blood at one time. One goes to a hospital, and one goes to feeding vampires.” Reid cleared his throat, “Sometimes workers will go to slaughterhouses and get blood from animals. A lot of vampires feel that’s impractical, so they’re pushing to have such practices discontinued.” 

“So because they’re full-vampires, meaning they must have drunk human blood at some point, there should be more knicks in their teeth?” Prentiss leaned on the table between her and Hotch, “Since this blood bank thing only got started up six years ago.”

“Yes.” Reid nodded, “After the first few times of puncturing the skin, human or animal, you’d get a few knicks.”

Morgan hummed, “That new detective in Denver is a vampire. She could help us with this stuff. It might be good to hear about some stuff from someone who’s experienced it.”

“That’s true.” JJ agreed, “It seems like this unsub has a type. Young men who haven’t been vampires for very long.”

“Hang on.” Reid squinted, pointed to the left tooth of one of the victims in a photo, “Look. See that?”

JJ leaned forward to where he was pointing, “A tattoo? On a tooth?”

“It’s a crown.” Reid looked between her and Hotch, “It means the other tooth was damaged and replaced. Porcelain dental crowns were invented in 1903. They came into practice for vampires in 1916. But only one man was willing to do the surgery. Doctor Howard O’Riley, a man who lived in Ireland. Vampires would travel by boat. Or even by flight, if they had the energy, to Dr. O’Riley’s office. There was one flaw though, and that was the engraving he left on the tooth. It was so he could show off his work, but to vampires, it became a tell. The crown would be easily hidden with the retraction of fangs, but other vampires could tell.”

“So what does that mean?” Morgan asked, “This vampire is older?”

“He’s got to be at least eighty.” Reid gestured to the young-looking man, “Which means our unsub doesn’t have a preference for young vampires, it just means the others have been young by chance. He might be going off appearance.”

“What if he is a vampire?” Hotch questioned.

“No.” Reid huffed, and Prentiss looked surprised, “There’s no way. Iron can do to vampires what fire can do to humans. See how they’re wrists are burned? See how the skin is falling off? You can see the bone in some places, Hotch. There’s no way the unsub is a vampire. The iron would burn them too.”

“If there are gloves that protect humans from fire,” Hotch began, and Reid glared, “Then there have to be gloves or some sort of protection for vampires against iron.”

“There isn’t.” Reid’s voice was venom, and Rossi butted in.

“Kid’s right.” Rossi looked up from his phone, “There’s no such thing.”

Hotch sighed heavily, “Reid, you and Prentiss head to the coroner’s office to see if you can find anything we missed. Rossi and Morgan, you two can head to the latest crime scene. Look over it and see if forensics missed anything. JJ and I can go to the office and introduce ourselves to the detectives.”

Reid slouched in his seat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand there is a lot of lore about ghouls being unable to communicate, especially once they've gone feral but PLS this is literally my own adaptation of them and I am changing some things to fit the story. I appreciate feedback so long as it isn't, "Oh a ghoul wouldn't do that" because that's the point.
> 
> I really love and appreciate your comments! Things will be a little slow because I was robbed recently, but luckily I still have my laptop and phone! More to come!

Reid never liked to drive, and Prentiss preferred being behind the wheel anyway. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing the dead bodies of the vampires, but he forced himself to climb out of the car. His legs felt like lead as he walked forward, and Prentiss noticed his stress. She squeezed his arm as if to provide him support, although she did not fully understand the situation. The pathologist was a vampire, Reid could tell as soon as he walked in. She and Reid shared a short look before he turned away, scratching his nail against his throat— a wordless way to say he was not out.

Her smile, mostly the shamelessly baring of her fangs, all showed Reid that she was open and  _ proud  _ of it. It must have taken her a while to get respected enough to work around dead bodies, especially being around blood all day. Maybe she had her full before work, or maybe she was like Reid and drank human blood as much as she could at one time.

“Y’all must be the agents they talked about,” Dr. Hayes greeted them, “I’ve got the bodies laid out down here.”

She led them down a spiraling staircase. Reid flinched when he saw the bodies. The first victim was laying on the table. He was young, with brown hair and the beginnings of a beard on his face. Just as Reid said, the skin that had been nailed to the iron cross was burned as if someone had laid the man in a fire pit. Dr. Hayes walked forward as Reid examined the skin around it.

“I’m sure you noticed the engraving.” She pulled back his lip and tapped his tooth.

Reid nodded, “Of course. Was it on anyone else?”

“This guy,” Prentiss spoke up, and the vampires looked back at her.

She’d put on gloves, but to have a human pull back the lip of a vampire to examine his teeth felt wrong. Dr. Hayes didn’t hide the fact that she didn’t like it. She kept a tight smile, but quickly approached Prentiss and used the pen she held to guide the agent’s fingers away.

“All except two have them.” She explained.

“Two do and two don’t?” Reid asked, trying to break the tension.

“Mhm.” Dr. Hayes didn’t break her eye contact with Prentiss, “ I’m sure you agents know about Dr. O’Riley.”

“We do.” Reid cleared his throat, and Hayes looked to him, “The nails that were used to hang them, were they iron too?”

“Yes. I haven’t been able to examine them, so I’ve been waiting for my assistant to finish running his tests.”

Reid nodded. Speaking of the Devil, the side door not noticed by the agents came open. A tall, shaggy-haired man walked into the room with the iron nails in a small evidence bag. He nodded to Reid and Prentiss and headed right to Dr. Hayes. He showed her a yellow notepad as he came closer to her.

“I didn’t find any fingerprints of anything on the iron. Looks like the killer’s a human, wearing gloves.” He shrugged, “There is one theory I have.”

“Which is?” Prentiss spoke up.

“Cooking!” He looked to the agents with wide, excited eyes, “How do you get the food you eat to the perfect temperature? You cook it! Chicken, ribs, turkey, all meat that you cook! If you really look closely at some of the wounds, it looks as if someone slipped a knife under their skin and pulled at their meat?”

Reid paled, “Hunting vampires for sport isn’t illegal in Colorado.”

“He’s eating them.” Prentiss looked disgusted, “Or parts of them. But—”

“Vampire flesh has the texture of human flesh. Ghouls have a taste for it.” Dr. Hayes glanced at Reid, “There’s a bar near the zoo. It’s called Flicker, it’s popular with some undercover ghouls in our city.”

Reid and Prentiss made their way back t0 the station. Just as they arrived, so did Rossi and Morgan. Hotch and JJ were in a small office provided by the police department. Rossi and Morgan played nice with the detective assigned to the case, as did Prentiss, but Reid looked leery as he shook the woman’s hand. The two of them seemed tense, and as profilers, the team noticed that tension. They weren’t quite sure exactly what the cause of it was, but it was there. Detective Karla Robinson was her name and her Denver accent was rather thick. 

“What did you guys find?” Morgan asked Prentiss.

She plopped down in a seat and carded a hand through her hair, “The coroner thinks the unsub might be a ghoul. Meaning they might be eating the victims.”

“Dr. Hayes also told us about a bar near the zoo.” Reid spoke up, “One that's popular with ghouls. Because of their taste for human flesh, I would assume it’s more of a speakeasy, designed as something people don’t often go to.”

“There’s a bookstore down there.” Robinson spoke up, “I wouldn’t advise you, folks, to go down there. Some of the ghouls in the city haven’t eaten tender flesh in years. Sometimes they get to graves earlier and eat the meat off cadavers. The agreement of them living here is that they don’t eat any living humans.”

“They also often partake in cannibalism.” Reid pinched the bridge of his nose.

“We’re going to the bar,” Hotch spoke up, “Reid, how do you kill one of those things?”

“Decapitation is the cleanest route, believe it or not.”

“Then that’s how we’ll defend ourselves.” Morgan shrugged.

“There’s something else,” Reid said.

Eyes turned to him.

“When a ghoul consumes the brain and heart of a person, they take on the appearance of said person. None of the victims have been missing a brain or heart, but if we were to look into some recent cases that have that M.O, we could easily identify and track down the potential killer.”

Morgan sighed, “Time to give Garcia a call.”

The team waited as he dialed her number, then her voice filled the room. Garcia was sweet, and her bubbly voice broke the tension that seemed to fill the room.

“It was only a matter of time before my babies needed me!” She announced, “It only took  _ forever _ . What can I do for you, my liege?”

Morgan smiled, “You have no idea how much I miss you every time we’re away.”

“If you missed me as much as you claimed, you’d send me pictures for proof. As a mat—”

“Garcia,” Hotch barged in, “We need you to look up cases in Denver where the suspects are ghouls.”

“Time frame?” She sang as her fingers went flying across her keyboard.

“One or two months.” Reid supplied.

“Oh, here we are! Let me just say Reid, I always miss you when you’re away. I had absolutely no one to binge-watch Real Housewives with.”

JJ snorted, and Reid turned bright red, “Any cases?”

“Yep. Scott Price was found in his home without his heart or brain just one month ago. He was only identified through his teeth and distinct birthmarks.” Garcia read, “A ghoul was charged in his murder, but was released after someone bailed him out.”

Reid touched the side of his face, “Does the ghoul have a name?”

“Basque Woodrow,” Garcia read.

Robinson made a face, “Woodrow?”

“You recognize the name?” Rossi turned to her.

“Yeah! Woodrow Iron Works,” Robinson looked between Rossi and JJ, “The man who owns it is Greg Woodrow. He’s a consultant, he helps us with cases sometimes.”

“How so?” JJ asked.

“He’s a seer.” 

“What?” Reid breathed, “Has he always gone by Greg?”

“Oh, no. A while ago he went by Jerry, but I supposed that got old.” Robinson gestured herself, “My granddaddy says he remembers when Greg went by Andrew.”

“He’s a vampire.” Prentiss concluded, then looked to Reid, “Do you know him?”

“No.” Reid quickly shook his head, “I’ve read about him. He adopted a bunch of children born to monsters in the early 2000s. A while ago, parents of monsters were rounded up and killed. The government was afraid of the overpopulation of monsters who killed humans. Vampires, ghouls, sirens, and many others. So they allowed them to be killed.”

“I remember that.” Hotch crossed his arms, “Haley and I attended the protests. They still went through with it?”

“They killed 300,000 monsters.” Reid sounded nearly hysterical, “Some went into hiding. Some are still in hiding.”

Morgan noticed the tension and cleared his throat, “Reid? Why don’t you and I go down to the bar? We’ll protect each other, and we’ll bring weapons, but we don’t have to kill anything.”

Reid sighed, “We can’t promise the fact that we won’t hurt anyone. It can’t just be the two of us. We should all go.”

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some plot but mostly filler

Seeing Basque with the face and figure of a dead man was jarring, to say the least, but then again, Hotch had always found the supernatural elements of their world to be as such. Basque allowed Prentiss and Morgan to tie him down with heavy iron chains, near impossible to break through, and he and the team sat in the open space of his bar and stared at one another. Robinson stood near the open door with a large gun, and there was a deputy at her side. He was a wolf, Reid could tell, and he also knew the officer could smell what he was. Reid had done the same signal he’d done with Dr. Hayes, to silently ask for it not to be mentioned, and he wouldn’t, so long as Reid respected his rank. Hotch moved across the floor toward Basque, who flipped blond hair out of his face.

“Cannibalism is common practice amongst your people,” Hotch began, “You got off the hook for killing Mr. Price. Do you think the jury might give you a second chance?”

“No need.” Basque sighed, his voice rough, like gravel, “I didn’t kill anyone. Nor have I eaten anyone. Not since Scott.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Basque shrugged, “Sometimes. Not recently.”

“You understand why you’re a suspect.” Prentiss spoke up, “Ghouls can get their full without the heart and brain.”

Basque laughed, then looked at Reid's injured arm, “You using that, agent? I bet it’s tender.”

“Back off.” Morgan scowled, “Answer the question.”

“I understand.” The ghoul rolled his eyes, “I’m one of the only ghouls who actually lives in this town. The others have taken to more acceptable methods, but you couldn’t ever satisfy me with anything artificial.”

“So you admit that you’re still feeding on humans?” Reid asked.

“Of course I am, agent. You can arrest me for grave robbing, but not for murder.” Basque grinned, “Haven’t any of you wondered about the wendigo who just moved in?”

“Wendigo?” Robinson repeated, “What wendigo?”

“He goes by Arthur, and he’s very kind when he isn’t hungry.” Basque let his head fall back, “You agents ought to get out of here, I’m feeling a bit peckish.”

The agents, detective, and deputy filed out of the front room of the bar and out onto the sidewalk. Rossi, who’d been waiting outside with JJ, locked up the front door just as Basque threw himself against it. As they settled from the small spook, the deputy removed his hat and flung it to the ground.

“Bill?” Robinson spoke up.

“I should’ve smelled him. Some bastard in my territory. I should have been able to easily smell him.” Bill looked pissed, “The pups have been reckless, I should have sensed something was wrong.”

“It’s not your fault, Bill,” Robinson touched his shoulder, “We’ll find this thing and kill it.”

“Surely there’s another way?”JJ asked, worried about how Reid might feel, considering how he acted earlier.

“There isn’t,” Reid sighed, “Once a wendigo gets the taste of human flesh, they’re impossible to cure. The only way to kill him is to burn him. We’ll need tranquilizers to subdue him, but then we’ll have to burn him.”

“There’s no cure,” Bill looked towards Reid, “No way around it. I’ll get a few from my pack together.”

“We’ll help.” Hotch stepped forward.

“There’s a clearing we can lure him to.” Reid spoke up, remembering the map he’d studied, “We can set up the trap at the clearing.”

Bill nodded. He got into his car and drove towards the mountains. It would have been faster and easier in his pelt, but he didn’t want the town going into a crazed state. Reid joined Rossi and Morgan in one car, while Prentiss and JJ went with Hotch in another. Robinson drove alone. Their first stop was a hardware store. The employee there was a hunter, so he knew how to trap a wendigo. He explained the trap to Reid, who looked at the diagram with a pale look on his face. Rossi could tell he didn’t want this. Reid and Morgan both set up the trap, complete with a dead rabbit doused in human blood to trick the wendigo. Now, they just had to wait. Reid was standing near a tree, watching the sunset. The smell of the blood was intoxicating. Reid knew if push came to shove, Bill and his pack would have to fight the wendigo. Even then, there would be casualties on both sides. A short time after midnight, when the humans, and Reid, had gone down to the bottom of the mountain, they listened close as there was a snap, followed by a short, startled scream. From the trees there came a strong, fiery blaze alongside the pained screaming. Reid squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think of it. Finally, it died down, although the blaze continued. The howl was their signal to drive back up the mountain. Reid's shoulder ached, but he continued on. Seeing the burnt remains of a wendigo was never a satisfying sight. Reid bent down near the creature, before he stood, only to come eye-to-eye with a stark-naked Deputy Bill.

“You alright?”

“As good as I can be right now.” Reid replied, “You and your pack did a good job.”

“Never would have known if not for you folk. Some of the younglings are looking for the cave he stayed in.” Bill glanced at the wendigo, “Sick freak.”

“Stop. He couldn’t help it.” 

“You’ve got too good a heart.” Bill squeezed his shoulder, and Reid moved away, “Too good to be what you are.”

Reid watched Bill turn, and he did not take his eyes away as the wolf ran into the darkness. Reid turned just as another naked man relit the wendigo, just in case. He handed Prentiss the torch, and she awkwardly handed it to Robinson, who did not at all seem upset or troubled. The case in Denver came to a somber close, and it was time to return home. Once on the jet, Reid was still silent. He had not spoken much after his small interaction with Bill. Every now and again Reid would cringe, or shift in his seat, or suck in his breath and close his eyes. Morgan spoke up.

“You in pain, kid?”

“A little,” he sighed, “Back to back cases like this are always troublesome. I just hope there’s not another one in a long time.”

“I’m sure we’ll get a break.” Hotch looked at them, “Strauss is sending some of the newer teams on out of state cases lately. So we’ll be local, but it’ll be better than constant jet-lag.”

Morgan nodded, then looked back to Reid, “So how’s staying with the boss?”

“I’ve been trying to stay away from button-downs. I don’t think there’s anything more embarrassing than having your boss button up your shirt.”

“Is that why you haven’t been wearing ties?” JJ twirled in her seat to look at him.

“Of course. I’d never subject myself to a  _ clip-on. _ ” Reid said the last word as if it were disgusting.

“I have aspirin in my bag,” Morgan offered, “If you’re in pain.”

“No, I’m good.” Reid shifted, then bit back a small shout, “I’m okay.”

Rossi had cringed at the short whimper, “You sure, Reid?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Reid replied, “I don’t need any painkillers.”

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight NSFW ( hotch takes off reid's sweater vest and they kissy kiss but that's it lol )

“It’s going to continue to be awkward.” Reid said as he removed the sling from his arm, “If we continue to pretend like it never happened.”

It felt good to be able to stretch his arm. As a vampire, he had a faster healing period than humans. It took about ten days for most skin wounds to heal, although physical therapy took longer. Reid went to a specialist, but kept it to himself, especially considering she was a doctor for vampires. Hotch had said nothing at first when Reid suggested they talk about the kiss. It wasn’t until Reid sat down beside him did he turn to take Reid’s hands in his own.

“Wouldn’t you rather be with a vampire?” Hotch asked, “I have feelings for you, but if we spend a lifetime together, I’ll die, and you’ll continue on.”

Reid frowned, “Is that what you’re worried about? Me being sad about you dying?”

“I would hope you’d be upset about me dying.” Hotch looked confused, “Which is why I don’t want you to have to deal with it. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. I don’t want you to go through that.”

“Aaron.” Reid paused, then closed his eyes, “I don’t think you have any idea how long I’ve had feelings for you. When I was shot, I wasn’t scared, just in pain, and you being there helped me cope with it. I realized that I loved you then. Before it was a crush, but it never went away.”

“You love me?”

“I thought it was obvious.” Reid shrugged, then opened his eyes, “I thought you knew. I thought it was why you kissed me.”

Hotch was silent.

“You don’t love me,” Reid concluded.

“Reid—”

“No, it’s alright. I’ve had years to understand my emotions. You’re young in comparison to me.” Reid closed his eyes again, “It’s alright if you d—”

He was cut off by Hotch slipping a hand against the nape of his neck. His eyes were wide as he stared at Hotch, whose breath was hot up against his face, but it smelled faintly of mint and strongly of scotch. When did he even have time to drink? When Hotch kissed him, Reid closed his eyes and reached his hands out to grip his superior’s shirt. Hotch pulled at his hair, but it didn’t hurt. Hotch quickly removed Reid’s sweater vest and took in his surprised expression before kissing him again. He had him pinned against the couch, hardly coming up for air. Each time he pulled away, he only gave Reid a second to breathe before he dove in again. He shoved his knee up between Reid’s legs, and as he slipped his hand under his shirt, Reid’s fingers wrapped tightly around his wrist.

“Aaron.”

“Spencer.”

“Aaron, I won’t sleep with you.”

“What?” Hotch moved back slowly, then helped Reid sit up.

“I said I won’t sleep with you. I can’t sleep with someone who doesn’t love me.” Reid looked guilty, “It’s not me trying to be manipulative, I just  _ can’t _ . Sex is important to me, Aaron, and I don’t want to throw myself at someone who doesn’t feel the same.”

Hotch still looked confused.

“I didn’t want to sleep with you until I knew I loved you.” Reid tried to explain, “I want to be with you, Aaron, but I don’t want to have sex with you.”

Hotch gently cupped Reid’s face, “Hey, that’s okay. I get it. You need an emotional connection both ways, right?”

“Yeah.” Reid’s voice cracked, “I’m sorry, but I won’t change my mind.”

“Don’t apologize, Spencer. Never apologize for your emotions.” Hotch kissed his forehead, “I’m sure I’ll love you one day.”

“Don’t say that.” Reid laughed weakly, “It doesn’t sound the way you intended.”

“How about, for now, I say I like you?” Hotch brushed his thumb across Reid’s cheekbone, “I like you, Spencer.”

Reid placed his hands to Hotch’s chest, “I like you too, Aaron.”

“If you don’t mind me asking—” Hotch paused, “Are you a virgin?”

“No.” Reid shook his head as he laid back, “I’ve been with plenty of people. I don’t identify as solely liking one gender. Sexuality is fluid, and there’s no need for labels in some cases. Some people are comfortable with labels and some aren’t. I can love anyone ( of age, obviously ) who loves me back.”

“Have you been with women?”

“Sure. I was married twice.”

“Really?” Hotch looked shocked, “To who?”

“I fell in love with a siren when I lived in Greece. I’d wait until sunset, and I’d go down to the cove in my silly little boat to see her.” Reid smiled fondly, “She was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen. Unfortunately, she was killed by some nasty poachers who came from America. Greece used to be filled with sirens, but they all went into hiding because everyone wanted to wear their scales.”

“Did you marry a man after that?”

“No.” Reid was happy to talk about his past, "I married a person who owned a small apple farm in Italy. They needed a farmhand and I needed a job. I have old photos. The world was cruel and didn’t understand them, so they had to present as masculine in public.”

“I’m sorry.” Hotch stroked his hair back, and Reid closed his eyes.

“They passed away from old age. They were one of the only humans who knew about me. A little after they died, I decided to enroll in the academy here in Quantico. None of my marriages have ever been legal, considering it was illegal for a siren to marry anyone who wasn’t a siren. And I couldn’t marry my partner on the farm because—” Reid opened his eyes and looked rather sad, “As I said, the world was cruel.”

“The world still is cruel.” Hotch placed his hands on Reid’s thighs.

“I know.” Reid shut his eyes again, tighter this time, “There are communities of monsters in the mountains. I could always go live amongst my own kind. I might, but no time soon.”

“Have you always wanted to care for humans?”

“You humans are cruel. You hate and mock your own.” Reid touched Hotch’s face, “But there’s a good bunch of you left, and I want to protect that. I want to protect you.”

“Is that why you’re staying? To protect me?”

“You and the whole team.” Reid cupped Hotch’s face and pulled him down so their foreheads touched, “Mostly you.”

“Well, if you protect mostly me, then I’ll protect mostly you.”

“Promise?” Reid whispered.

“I swear, Spencer.”


	11. There Is No Chapter

I get very insecure sometimes, especially when I am writing/creating a world that already has lore around it. Changing things people are used to and making one's own world out of something that is already established is quite literally what fanfiction is about. I was nervous to begin the story and craft my own take on monsters because I was afraid of the backlash that might come from die-hard fans of the supernatural. Not the show, literally just supernatural things like vampires, wolves, ghouls, and such. It makes me very happy to see that people are liking this story, and the comments people leave are so sweet! They always make me smile. I changed the rules of some things to help stuff make sense in this story. I hope things are tying together and making sense. If not, please leave comments below and I will answer them! More chapters are coming soon!

\- Vex


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> most geographical stuff in this story is accurate, but i try to add little places here and there that don't really exist.   
> ( like clubs and hotels ). this chapter mentions a strip club, so if you aren't comfortable with that, you should skip the next few chapters. ❤️
> 
> this chapter is mostly filler and a lil 'crack' because i wanna make people smile. it'll get serious again, i promise!

Aaron Hotchner was not the sort of man who knew how to deal with a morning-after. Though his night with Reid could not be considered such, he had still fallen asleep with his arms wrapped around the agent. He’d woken up with a soft arm curved around the nape of his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, and a frenzy of brown hair in his face. The smell of coffee was what lured Reid out of bed. He came into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. He was already dressed, but his hair was just pushed back by his hands. Hotch handed him a cup of coffee as he approached, and smiled fondly when Reid thanked him with a little hum. Hotch leaned his hands against the marble island as he watched Reid dump at  _ least  _ sixteen teaspoons of sugar in his coffee. Had he not been half-awake, Hotch was sure Reid would have picked up the heavy container and dumped all the sugar inside the mug.

Coffee would keep Reid awake, but it would fail to keep his hunger satisfied. Hotch understood this, in a way. He allowed Reid to stop by a small shop on their way to work. Hotch waited awkwardly in the parking lot, fingers tapping against the steering wheel as he looked to his watch now and again. When Reid got back into the car, he poked a thin red straw through a dark black pouch and began a happy, simple slurping. Hotch watched him for a moment before he pulled out of the lot.

“Do you drink human blood?”

“Not often.” Reid replied, “This is human’s blood. Acquired legally. There are little shops all over the city that allow people to donate their blood. So long as they don’t have any illnesses that they could pass on.”

“Oh?” Hotch glanced to him, “You can pass illnesses through drinking blood?”

“Of course. I could get sick from drinking someone’s blood the same way someone could get sick from having sex with another person.” Reid shrugged, “That’s why I only buy from people who have contact with Ethan. Some humans sell tainted blood for cheap prices. First-time blood drinkers have fallen victim to the scam multiple times.”

“You’d only drink blood you trust?” Hotch’s voice sounded strange.

Reid lowered his pouch and looked to Hotch, “Yes. I buy my blood from Ethan and the people he works with. Why?”

“A healthy diet produces more red blood cells, y’know.”

“I know.” Reid licked his lower lip.

“I have a healthy diet.” Hotch did not take his eyes off the road, “I do not like red meats, but you saw my fridge. Lots of vegetables and legumes.”

“Aaron.” Reid quirked a brow, “Are you asking to be my personal blood bank?”

“I—”

“It couldn’t be frequent.” Reid leaned on the center compartment between them and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, “How kind of you, to want me to have clean blood. You’re so sweet.”

Hotch said nothing.

“I couldn’t ask that of you.” Reid pressed the straw to his lip, “Besides, I’d rather not be addicted to one specific blood type. Once someone knows your preference, they charged you more for it.”

It wasn’t until they were both able to exit the car when Hotch felt like he could breathe again. After a short meeting with JJ, the team was called for a briefing. The case was local, and a few of them had already heard about it. Just one hour from Quantico was a town called Marshall. In the town was an underground speakeasy for gay men called Adam’s Gentlemen’s Club. Reid found the name a tad basic, but he didn’t really have any say in someone’s business. The owner had contacted local police about a few of the dancers who worked at his club turning up dead. It took four bodies before the local PD decided it best to get the BAU involved. Reid didn’t love Marshall, especially considering the large vampire population. Of course, he didn’t know every single vampire that ever was, but he knew quite a few of them and he  _ knew  _ many of them lived in Marshall. There were tons of speakeasies there, all with different themes and purposes, and Reid just  _ knew  _ there were some with humans lining up to donate their blood to fulfill some  hematolagnia kink of theirs.

Garica handed out the files as if they were infected, but it was mostly because she absolutely did not want to see anything inside of them. She even kept her back to the screen. Hotch had been courteous enough to lean the tablet away from her whenever she looked his way. She turned her head of shiny blond hair towards the agents at the table and waved her remote towards the screen without looking.

“There’s trouble within our borders kids, and it’s not the fun kind.” She clicked the remote, “I’m sure you all heard about the speakeasy killings in Marshall, and the apparent we have a little will-they-won’t-they going on with the local PD.” Garcia cringed, and Morgan smiled a little, “So far four bodies of four college students have been found. They were all dancers at the same speakeasy, and they were all last-seen with the same guy.”

“The owner says the guy might be a regular,” Morgan said as he leaned his arms on the table.

“He targets new dancers.” Hotch scrolled through the tablet, “Usually strikes up a conversation with them.”

Prentiss hummed, “Well, he has a type. Thin, tall, black hair.”

“Brown eyes.” JJ added, “They’re all attractive.”

Rossi leaned back in his chair, “Maybe his attraction to these men is what sets him off. Perhaps the unsub is a gay man who was raised in a conservative household. His internalized homophobia might be the stressor that made him want to kill the dancers.”

Hotch looked hesitant, “I think it best someone go undercover to try to earn the unsub’s trust. Maybe pose for a few nights as a new dancer. The dancers who already work there might go out of their way to avoid the unsub.”

“He certainly has to be charming.” Reid finally spoke up, “Especially if he gets the dancers alone long enough to kill them. He might be luring them with the prospect of paying for sex. A lot of speakeasies in Marshall are just fronts for sex clubs.”

Just as Morgan was about to ask how on Earth Reid could know that, Hotch cut in.

“Let’s pack up the SUVs and head over.”

“We’re not taking the jet?” Rossi questioned.

“Rossi!” Garcia scolded, “Reduce your carbon footprint. A little drive isn’t that much trouble.”

“I’m not pairing up with Reid.” Rossi pointed at the genius, who splayed his arms out as if to ask what he had done.

“I’ll ride with you, pretty boy.” Morgan cooed, ruffling his hair, “You can tell me all about your escapades at Count Dracula’s castle.”

“What?” Reid’s brows screwed together as he stood and grabbed his bag.

“I’m talking about Mister Aaron Hotchner.” Morgan hissed, and JJ laughed while Prentiss rolled her eyes, “He’s totally got a dungeon in his family room, hasn’t he?”

“You can always ask him.” Reid played along, “He was more than happy to show me his various torture devices.”

Morgan’s eyes went wide, and he broke into a peal of hysterical laughter when he realized Reid hadn’t even meant anything promiscuous by the joke. He threw his arms over the younger agent's shoulders, partially draped over him, and for no discernible reason, Hotch wanted to rip Morgan off. Hotch got paired up with Prentiss, and JJ went with Rossi, who was more than happy that she just wanted to drive in silence. Prentiss and Hotchner weren’t big talkers, so the conversation between them was about the case. However, if anyone passed Morgan and Reid, they might just think they were two men who’d just stolen a car and couldn’t handle the thrill. The argument of which one of them would look better in a skirt, started by Morgan’s joking comment about Reid being a good candidate for the undercover role, had started as a joke, but it turned rather serious for no good reason. Even as they exited the car to walk up to the precinct, Reid caught Hotch off guard by pointing to himself and whispering; ‘ _ I’ve got the legs for it! You don’t even know how to cross your legs so it doesn’t fall out!’ _ .

  
  


Meeting the detective on the case felt odd. He was a wolf, but a beta, not the head of his department, but Reid could tell he had the potential to be there. Reid scratched a single nail against his throat as he looked away, silently telling the detective not to mention his species. He nodded and then continued casually to establish that he had no intention of stepping on their toes or involving himself in the case very much. The team sat at the round table provided by the station. They were used to being given small rooms and old offices, so the fresh, open space was a nice change of pace. After a few minutes of trying to come up with a plan, Prentiss sighed and said what they were all thinking.

“Reid  _ looks  _ like them.”

“We can finally stop beating around the bush.” Rossi sighed, “Dye the kid’s hair black and send him in there to catch the guy.”

“Don’t you think we should ask Reid if he’s comfortable with that?” Morgan asked.

“Yeah!” Reid agreed, “I’d never dye my hair.”

“No, kid.” Morgan tried not to chuckle, “Are you comfortable with posing as a dancer?”

“Sure, as long as it helps catch the guy.” Reid shrugged, “I just am not comfortable with dyeing my hair.”

“How about a temporary dye?” JJ asked, “It comes out with baking soda and shampoo.”

Reid paused, “If it stains my hair then I’ll let the roots grow before I chop off the black. I’ll look like Legolas.”

“Who?” Hotch frowned.

“Who?!” Both Morgan and Reid repeated Hotch as if he did not believe he didn’t know.

“If we could save this for later.” Rossi interrupted, not wanting to hear Morgan and Reid bitch at their superior, “Temporary dye would work. We’d need a name and backstory.”

“Angel!” Prentiss exclaimed, “Ran away from the windy city because he wanted a taste of the small-town life.”

Reid was silent for a moment, before he spoke, “Alright, I’ll do it. But I’ll just go by the name Prentiss gave. If he asks questions about my backstory, I’ll keep it very vague.”

“Now.” JJ placed her hands on the table, “On to what you’ll wear.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the last chapter on like two hours of sleep so I am feeling self-conscious about it, but I'm committed to making it make sense!
> 
> TW/ The unsub touches Reid in this chapter a lot. Also, he drugs him but there's no noncon or anything like that bc ew. He only drugs him to get the upper hand so he'll have a chance to k*ll him.

Dyeing Reid’s hair black was the very least of their worries. Adam, the owner of the club, had lent Reid a pair of black cotton biker shorts and a mesh black top. The speakeasy’s layout was wide, open, and very purple. There were conversation pits in the lounge. On the right side of the room there was the bar, and on the left were the private rooms. JJ and Prentiss posed as bartenders. Most of the bartenders were women, while the dancers were men. Adam and his partner Sage were both there, trying to be discrete about watching the scene unfold. Sage had helped Reid style his hair. They had recommended he do a half-up-half-down style, so Reid had a small bun at the back of his head while some of it brushed his shoulders when he moved his head. The material of the shorts rode up on him, which made him feel naked. Reid had been a dancer once, before the BAU and shortly before having been married to the siren, but that was ages ago. Yet he was still able to rock his waist to the music. He was hardly paying attention as he danced on Morgan, who sat on the couch in one of the pits with a glass in his hand. Hotch was nearby, staring holes into the back of Morgan’s head. It wasn’t the other agent's fault, Reid was just more comfortable touching him. Rossi was too much like a mentor, and Reid didn’t want to get too bothered while dancing with Hotch. 

“You think he’ll show up?” Morgan asked as Reid lowered his head so they could speak.

“I hope.” Reid replied, “I’m not doing this two nights in a row. I’m cold.”

“I can tell.” Morgan snorted, slowing Reid’s hips to give him a break, “You think Hotch knows we know he’s staring?”

“He’s probably blown away by the obvious fact that this is normal for us.” Reid jerked his head to move hair from his eyes.

“Maybe.” Morgan paused, “How’s life at Hotch’s dungeon?”

“Not as bad as you’d think. My shoulder isn’t hurting as much, so I’ll go home soon.” Reid tensed suddenly, “Can you see the scar?”

“A little.” Morgan answered honestly, “It shows you’ve got a story. Maybe he’ll mention it.”

The music felt as if it were thumping against his head, making his heart beat faster, and he turned his head slowly to watch another man walk down the small set of stairs into the pit. Morgan squeezed Reid’s hip as if to wish him luck, and as Reid moved off of him, the male dancer who’d been on the pole walked sultrily over to Morgan and sat on his lap. Reid took a breath, then stood in front of the man, moving his legs in a dramatic way as he straddled the man’s lap. He dragged a hand through his brunette hair, and as Reid stared at him, he took careful note of his features. He had a light scratch on his face as if made by someone fighting him off. Reid placed his forearms on the man’s shoulders and leaned in close, pressing his chest to the other’s, the scratchy material of the suit slightly disorienting.

“You new?” The brunette’s voice was deep and confident.

“I usually work in the city. I’m helping out a friend.” Reid easily explained as he guided the man’s hands to his waist.

“You’re so sexy.” He breathed, “You got a name?”

“Call me Angel.” Reid continued stroking his hair, “Can I get one for you?”

“Call me Aziel,” the stranger whispered, “Or ‘sir’ if you’d like.”

Reid let Aziel guide him to a standing position. He turned him around and pulled him back down, so Reid’s backside was flush against the man’s stomach whenever he moved. The music was low and steady, and Reid felt like his head was swimming. Aziel was an attractive man. He had a rustic, brown skin tone and a full black beard. Aziel placed a hand on Reid’s stomach and went running it up to his body to his neck, but Reid’s hands were quick to move the wandering palms back to his waist. Reid leaned back so his hair brushed against Aziel’s face.

“Wow.” Aziel grabbed Reid’s arm, taking note of his beaded bracelet with a little charm on it, “Are you a student?”

Reid pulled away, pretending to be shy, “I don’t want you judging me, sir.”

“I’d never.” Aziel whispered roughly, “It turns me on. To be dancing with someone who goes to one of those private colleges. Everyone thinks you’re a good boy, don’t they, Angel?”

“All my professors do.” Reid turned his head to look at him, “I’m a very good student.”

Aziel pulled Reid closer, gripping his hips rather harshly. Reid was disgusted at the prospect of this man being turned on over the idea of him being in college. Aziel was obviously worked up, Reid felt it when the stranger pulled him closer.

“Do you want to give me a private show, Angel?” Aziel’s eyes flickered towards the private rooms, “I’ll get us some drinks.”

Reid nodded, pausing to adjust his top as he stood. That was the signal the team needed to watch closer. Morgan touched Reid’s hand as he passed, and they exchanged a small device that would listen in as soon as Reid put it inside the locket he wore. He did so once he was alone in the room. Hotch, who’d stood and gone to the bar, watched from the corner of his eye as Aziel ordered two drinks. He held his hand atop one and held the other by the bottom. Prentiss noticed the fizz, but she said nothing. As Aziel walked away, she touched the small pin on her shirt. It sent a short, low beep to Reid, letting him know that Aziel was coming back. All Reid had to do was touch the locket and have Aziel confess. As the door came open, Reid pressed the locket. Hotch left the club and got into the faux catering van at the side of the building where the deputy of the local station and a few tech analysts were.

“For me?” Reid asked as he took the glass from Aziel.

“All for you, baby.” Aziel smiled, standing close to him, “You wanna dance for me?”

The rooms weren’t soundproof, but the music was muffled, Aziel sat down, and Hotch watched on the cameras they’d set up for the night. Reid, blushing, walked over to Aziel and sat on his lap. He moved his hips slower now and ran his hand down Aziel’s chest.

“Drink. You’ll feel better.” Aziel urged.

“Not yet.” Reid laughed softly, “I want to feel you for right now.”

Aziel smiled, “How come you’re working here?”

“My scholarship doesn’t cover everything.” Reid shrugged, letting Aziel run his hands over him, “Plus I’ve got car payments.”

“You have a scholarship?” Aziel gasped, “You must be pretty smart.”

“I like to think so.”

Aziel caressed his hips, “If you’re going to be here often, I might have to come and see you.”

“You can come to see me anytime, sir,” Reid said, slipping his hands inside Aziel’s suit jacket, really feeling his shirt.

Aziel reached into his breast pocket and took out a wad of large bills. Reid let Aziel pull back the biker shorts to tuck the money inside. The paper was rough against his bare skin, but with everything going on, Reid could ignore it. Aziel’s hands wandered further now. He groped at Reid’s butt and waist. He pulled his nails down Reid’s chest and left light red marks in their wake. Finally, Reid dipped his head back and drank. Aziel placed his hands on Reid’s thighs before his knuckles brushed between his legs. Reid was caught off guard and jerked back, grabbing Aziel’s wrist, making the man’s expression become sinister. From inside the van, Hotch clenched his jaw.

“What? I’m not allowed to touch you?” Aziel grabbed his shoulders, “Are you too good for me?”

Aziel’s voice seemed to fade. Reid’s head sloped from one side to the other as Aziel held him. He felt dizzy all of a sudden, and his hand became weak as he dropped the empty glass. Inside the van Hotch tensed, moving to the edge of his seat.

“It’s a shame, Angel. You’re beautiful.” Aziel lay him down, “Not as beautiful as the first, granted, but beautiful.”

Reid tried to focus as Aziel pawed at his throat. He recalled how the victims had their's slit.

“The world needs minds like yours. You should have respected your body. You should have loved yourself m—”

Aziel was cut off by Morgan tackling him. Reid looked at them, and through his blurred vision, he noticed Aziel’s knife. Morgan grabbed the man’s wrist and managed to knock it from his hands. JJ was there too, and she touched Reid’s arm, making him gasp and look at her. His body felt as if someone had ripped his soul from it. Every touch made his limbs feel thick and heavy. Rossi was the one to lift him. They took the back exit to minimize suspicion and keep distress to a minimum. When the ambulance came Reid was loaded into the back, despite his outfit, but Morgan was there anyway, to cover him up with his heavy windbreaker. Morgan held Reid’s hand and took in his lost, distressed expression.


End file.
